WordCamp Asia 2023 was held last February 17-29. 2023 at the Iconsiam Mall in Bangkok, Thailand. It is the first ever flagship WordCamp in Asia. History was made here!
Volunteering at WordCamp Asia was an experience that left me with a sense of pride and accomplishment.
I was assigned to manning the swag store, where we sold Wapuu plushies and souvenir fans. It was incredible to see how excited people were to take home a piece of the conference with them!
To purchase a Wapuu or fan, you would need to scan a QR code located on the table, pay with your credit card through Stripe, and you’re good to go!
The store was often busy, but it was particularly fun to chat with attendees about their experiences at WordCamp Asia and hear about their WordPress stories and favorite sessions.
It’s amazing how you can learn from just a few minutes of conversation with folks from different backgrounds and cultures.
When the store isn’t too hectic, I meet up with Filipino attendees and take photos. Coz who doesn’t love photos?!
I also had the opportunity to catch up with many of my colleagues from Automattic. We are a distributed company, so it’s not often that we get to see each other in person.
And while not taking photos, I grab a cup of Thai milk tea from Cha Tra Mue. Their store is located in the basement of Iconsiam.
And perhaps some Mango sticky rice from Yenly Yours…
Grabbing some free swag won’t hurt!
Overall, my experience volunteering at WordCamp Asia 2023 was incredible. It was humbling to see the level of dedication and enthusiasm that went into organizing and running the event.
Major props to Naoko, Dreb, JC and the rest of the organizing team for pulling off such an awesome event that was literally three years (or maybe even four years?) in the making.
I am super stoked to be a part of the team that helped make it happen, even in a small way. I came away from the conference with a renewed sense of energy and excitement for WordPress and the amazing community that surrounds it.
WordCamp Asia 2024 will be held in Taipei, Taiwan. See you there!